Using backing tracks

[stratoliner66]

I've never used backing tracks for live performances but, I've recently found a few tracks that I like and I'm thinking of using a couple for my acoustic show. My question is..... how do you control the start/ stop function if you're using a smart phone? My setuup consists of an Acoustic A40 amp which has a bluetooth connection, a looper, a harmony peddle and an android phone. Help please.

[Scott O]

Will your looper allow you to download them?

[Cuki79]

I use setlist maker (android). It is a bit complex to setup but fully tweakable

And an airturn BT-200 s4.

I configure the footswitches to do

1) play/pause
2) Rewind
3) Next song
4)Previous song

[ljguitar]

Hi s-liner

A bunch of my friends download multiple tracks into their loopers, and then play then back via the looper for live performance (or just around the house).

I prefer to build tracks on the fly as I play/sing using a looper.

A simple single track looper can work to store/playback tracks, but a side-effect of these units is IF you don't stop the track at the end of the track and don't stand on it for 3 seconds, you have to re-start the track in order to stop/stand on the switch to kill it (get it out of active memory).

Two pedal loopers avoid this issue.

The real key to integrating tracks without losing the audience is to get tracks to start seamlessly…so if you have an assistant to start-stop them, people will be focused on you. If you have to do all the starting/stopping…people are watching you interact with tech.

[Cuki79]

If I can have my pedalboard, I don't use the android phone and the bluetooth pedal.

I just bought a BOSS RC-5 paired with a FS-7 smal footprint dual footswitch.

Each track is set to play "once".
* The RC-05 footswitch is set to PLAY/STOP that always start the track at the begining
* The FS-7 two footswitches are set to do NEXT/PREVIOUS SONG
* You can set the volume for each backing track and save the setting.

It is a major improvement with respect to the RC-3 because
a) You can have two lines of 6 characters to name the backing tracks. I use the first line for he title and the second line to remind me the tuning, capo...
b) With the RC-3 I could not set the footwitch functions. SO I had the main switch doing PLAY/RESTART, the FS-7 first button was doing NEXT SONG (Long press: PREVIOUS SONG) and the FS-7 second button was doing STOP.
c) Because of the limited display (00-99) I needed a sheet of paper to remember the number of each backing tracks.

It's not wireless but it's there is no risk of incoming call ringing or notification ringing.

[RonD]

Interesting topic.
I play in a duo and basically "run" our show (mix from the stage, run BeatBuddy, sing leads/harmonies, and play most of the solos, etc.). I am "tap dancing" or pressing buttons almost as much as I play guitar at times.

For anything with just drums, I just use BeatBuddy.
We have about 6-8 tunes that have backing tracks (just drums and bass)...which I've loaded onto a Zoom R8 multitrack. For those tunes, my partner will engage the crowd while I cue up the song on the R8 and hit Play. I'm starting to rethink this setup and am leaning towards adding the Boss RC-500 or RC-5 to house these tracks. I'd then likely control the looper with a midi controller (along the lines of the Morningstar MC6) to run those tracks.

Another option I've tried is to load the backing tracks into OnSong and launch them from within OnSong (with a cable running from my iPad to the mixer). I've setup "hot corners" in OnSong to allow me to increase/decrease the volume of the track...however, when trying to sing/play guitar and quickly make volume adjustments by tapping the iPad screen, I often can't adjust it quick enough or mess something up.

Also, while I've tried to "normalize" the volume of these tracks, I find I'm constantly having to make volume adjustments (to either the BeatBuddy beats or backing tracks) frequently throughout our gigs. Again, this can be difficult to do when my hands are on the guitar. How do others deal with this?

I'm hoping that if I run backing tracks off of a looper, being controlled by midi, that I could then setup switches on my midi controller to control the looper volume in small increments. Same for the BeatBuddy.

In the end, the more complicated I'm making things...the more I'm thinking about just simplifying things and eliminating those backing tracks. ;-)

[lkingston]

If you use a chord charts app like Songbook or OnSong, you can link backing tracks to different songs and trigger them from a foot switch.

[shufflebeat]

Check out Audio Cues by Radial Theater.

I wouldn't normally suggest this but read the instructions before exploring.

[stratoliner66]

Originally Posted by Scott O

Will your looper allow you to download them?

Not sure.... I may have to check into that. I'm using an Electro Harmonix 720 looper that has a start/ stop capability. That would be the best solution for now but I'm not sure how to go about it. The stored loops I have now come from
what I imput from my guitar.

[Br1ck]

Nothing, but nothing , turns me off more than backing tracks. Any steady tempo devise robs music of it's life.

Learn to play. Learn to sing. Learn to connect. Machines don't make music, people do.

[Littleblindshak]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

Nothing, but nothing , turns me off more than backing tracks. Any steady tempo devise robs music of it's life.

Learn to play. Learn to sing. Learn to connect. Machines don't make music, people do.

I have been using backing tracks for a couple years. Here is what I use:

- SoundCue to trigger the tracks from my iPad or iPhone
- Amazing Slowdowner to change key or tempo
- Audicity to edit tracks and STEMS
- MP3gain to normalize all the volume

This does everything for me.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by stratoliner66

Not sure.... I may have to check into that. I'm using an Electro Harmonix 720 looper that has a start/ stop capability. That would be the best solution for now but I'm not sure how to go about it. The stored loops I have now come from
what I imput from my guitar.

The EHX 720 doesn't import tracks, but the new 1440 does via usb port, plus gives you 23 minutes total loop time and 20 storage slots, as well as adjustable fade time for each loop.

I recently upgraded from the 720 to the 1440. I use my looper to make my own backing tracks to practice to, guitar through one side and bass through the other. Here's a typical example, using the 720 looper.

[shufflebeat]

Originally Posted by Littleblindshak

- SoundCue to trigger the tracks from my iPad or iPhone

Excellent app but OP is on Android.